Shoulder Arms

1918
PG
36m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

7.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Top cast54

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Charles Chaplin

Doughboy
(as Charlie Chaplin)

Edna Purviance

The Girl

Syd Chaplin

Charlie's Comrade
(as Sydney Chaplin)
…

Loyal Underwood

Short German Officer

Henry Bergman

Fat Whiskered German Soldier…

Tom Wilson

Dumb German Wood-Cutter

Albert Austin

American Officer…

Jack Wilson

Crown Prince

W.J. Allen

Motorcyclist
(uncredited)

L.A. Blaisdell

Motorcyclist
(uncredited)

Alva D. Blake

U.S. Soldier
(uncredited)
…

Cliff Brouwer

Soldier
(uncredited)

E. Brucker

Bit Part in Street Scene
(uncredited)

F.S. Colby

Soldier
(uncredited)

Slim Cole

Soldier
(uncredited)

Wellington Cross

Motorcyclist
(uncredited)

E.H. Devere

Bit Part in Street Scene
(uncredited)

C.L. Dice

Motorcyclist
(uncredited)

Director
- Charles Chaplin
Writer
- Charles Chaplin
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews51

Featured review

8/10

Chaplin wins the war

Charlie Chaplin wins the war single handedly in this funny amusing film. This was one of Chaplins most successful films and is easy to see why. Made at a time when people needed a diversion from one the most terrifying wars ever Chaplin fins a light hearted way to make people feel good for a while.

The film starts with him having some funny problems in boot camp when he falls a sleep he finds himself being deployed to to trenches of France and immediately has problems manicuring inside the trench, He finally goes over the top rescues a friend, falls in love with a french lady, and then captures the Kaiser.

It is all rather light hearted and very amusing a good film to see

sraweber369
Mar 24, 2011
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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Many in Hollywood were nervous that one of their most famous peers was going to tackle the subject of WWI. It was released shortly before the Armistice, so it did not help boost national morale, but it did end up as one of Charles Chaplin's most popular films and it was particularly popular with returning doughboys.

Goofs
Charlie, disguised as a tree, enters a pipe to escape a German. When the German tries to pull Charlie out, he separates the lower part of the tree costume along with Charlie's shoes. When Charlie emerges from the other end of the pipe, he is still wearing shoes.

Quotes
Officer: How did you capture thirteen?
Recruit: I surrounded them.

Crazy credits
The short opens with a title card showing a caricature of Chaplin dressed as a World War I soldier, and text reading "Shoulder Arms Written and Produced by" followed by a blank space. A live action hand appears and points to the title, then the drawing, then uses a piece of white chalk to sign "Charles Chaplin" in the blank space, then points to the caricature one more time.